St Agnes Stand

Hello Everyone,

I'm so happy with the reception of this book, I have to admit I was a little tentative to share it with you all as it is one of my favorites. What if you all hated it, I may very well have been crushed! What a relief to find that you all really enjoyed it. For those of you who couldn't make it last night, we discussed St Agnes Stand by Thomas Eidson (link to a nice article about him)

I have loved this book for quite some time, its the perfect introduction to a western novel. The writing is interesting with great descriptions. The characters are all well developed and totally fascinating (what is not to love about a gun carrying card playing nun!). The relationships between the characters are believable and heartfelt, and for me it was an introduction to American Indians that I had never known about.

The book begins with Nat Swanson on the run across an unforgiving landscape from a mob of Texas cowboys after having killed one of their friends. There is a bullet in his leg and they are closing in on him, his chances of survival are looking bleak. He comes upon two freight wagons besieged by Apaches, and against his better judgement he goes to help. At the same time hidden in the rocks behind the wagon are a group of nuns with the orphans they are transporting. Sister Agnes prays to god for salvation. What ensues is a tale of courage and belief between Sister St Agnes and Swanson.

Your left asking your self :

Was he sent by god?

Would he have Stayed if Sister Agnes hadn't mentioned that it was Gods will?

or maybe he just gave him self up for the greater good. I guess we will never know.

If you haven't read it yet, its the perfect book for the weekend, its short enough to read in a couple of days. Its prose is taut and spare reminiscent of Larry McMurtry, who in fact is writing the screenplay for the movie version, to be retitled The Standoff.

Books that the Book Club have been reading:

My name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Stout

The buried giant by Kazoo Ishiguro

Night strangers y Chris O'hally

Neuro Tribes by Steven Silverman

Westwood the wind by Berril Markum

The little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

The Bronte sisters: The brief lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne by Catherine Reef

The mercy of thin air by Ronlyn Domingue

The Paris Wife by Paula Mccain

Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood

The Bourne Identity by Robert ludlum

Purity by Johnathon Franz

Toms River: the Story of Science and Salvation by Dan Fagin

Tripping over the truth: The return of the metabolic theory of cancer by Travis Christoffersen

The Whals protocol; a radical new way to treat all chronic autoimmune conditions using pale by Terry Wahls

Next months book is Eleanor and Park, I'm looking forward to seeing you all there.

Happy reading,

Ellie